by Hazel Corcoran, CWCF Executive Director
Over 200 people attended the hybrid Congress of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) in Calgary earlier this week, with the theme of “Co-operation at the Crossroads”. Lessons learned during the pandemic were shared in a panel session, including in the worker co–op sector, as described here. Posters on co-operative research were shared and are still available onllne. Alberta co-ops were featured, as described in this article. There were 62 young adults at the Congress part of Canada’s Emerging Co-operators (+), including one who was sent by CWCF; they will be producing a white paper. A major highlight was the plenary session on viewing the co-op principles through an anti-racism/ anti-oppression lens. It was led by Christine Clarke and Susanna Redekop of Freedom Dreams Co-operative Education, whom CWCF is lucky to have in the leadership of our JEDDI Committee. The resolution on Climate Change submitted by CWCF which will have CMC sign onto the UN Race to Zero was presented by Yuiill Herbert of Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG), and passed unanimously. (CWCF’s board has also decided that CWCF will be signing on.) Congratulations to all the CMC Award winners, including Meg Ronson, the new executive director of the CoopZone Developers’ Network Co-op with whom CWCF has the pleasure to work closely.
Participants from the worker co-op sector included CWCF board president Reba Plummer of Urbane Cyclist (also on the board of CMC), executive director Hazel Corcoran, and several others including CWCF’s delegate Kelly Storie of La Siembra, our board treasurer. We had the opportunity to meet with several new worker co-operators, including from the Blooming Ladies Co-op, Gia Consultancy, and Sustainability Solutions Group – as well as many other co-operators from across Canada. It was wonderful to gather together again!